Midlothian Council
Midlothian is rife with rumours that the council is planning to impose a new pay and grading structure - from January 2009.
If true, this would be a big mistake - the council will just be digging a bigger and deeper hole for itself - because it is trying to introduce new pay arrangements without explaining how everyone's jobs have been scored and graded.
Bad behaviour like this is what you would expect from the worst kind of rogue employer - not a Labour led council with strong trade union links - a sign of the times, perhaps.
Even the unions are up in arms - complaining about the council's bully boy tactics - wondering how their erstwhile friends and comrades can conduct themselves in this way.
In any event, there's no need to panic - if the council serves 90 days notice on the workforce, we will issue Action 4 Equality clients with detailed advice on how best to respond.
Midlothian will not be the first council to go down this route - but if it's silly enough to do so, the council will simply open itself up to further legal action - as well as doing more damage to its reputation within the local community.
Wonder what David Hamilton - the local Midlothian MP - thinks of it all? He's a former Midlothian Labour councillor (from 1995 to 2001), from a mining background and NUM stock - David can be contacted at: hamiltonda@parliament.uk
David shares an office in Dalkeith High Street with the local Labour (Holyrood) MSP - Rhona Brankin - she can be contacted at: Rhona.Brankin.msp@scottish.parliament.co.uk
If true, this would be a big mistake - the council will just be digging a bigger and deeper hole for itself - because it is trying to introduce new pay arrangements without explaining how everyone's jobs have been scored and graded.
Bad behaviour like this is what you would expect from the worst kind of rogue employer - not a Labour led council with strong trade union links - a sign of the times, perhaps.
Even the unions are up in arms - complaining about the council's bully boy tactics - wondering how their erstwhile friends and comrades can conduct themselves in this way.
In any event, there's no need to panic - if the council serves 90 days notice on the workforce, we will issue Action 4 Equality clients with detailed advice on how best to respond.
Midlothian will not be the first council to go down this route - but if it's silly enough to do so, the council will simply open itself up to further legal action - as well as doing more damage to its reputation within the local community.
Wonder what David Hamilton - the local Midlothian MP - thinks of it all? He's a former Midlothian Labour councillor (from 1995 to 2001), from a mining background and NUM stock - David can be contacted at: hamiltonda@parliament.uk
David shares an office in Dalkeith High Street with the local Labour (Holyrood) MSP - Rhona Brankin - she can be contacted at: Rhona.Brankin.msp@scottish.parliament.co.uk
